Umbrella.



F. W. HOWARD.

UMBRELLA.

APPLICATION FILED AuG.2I, 1913.

1,21 9,640. Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

WITNESSES:

cairn era ante @FFTQE.

FRANK w. HOWARD, or NEW YORK, 1\T.;Y.

UMBRELLA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 26 191?.

Application filed August 27, 1913. Serial No. 786,844.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that T, FRANK W. HOWARD, a citizen-of the United'States,residing at New York city, State-of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Umbrellas, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact description. 1

This invention relates to umbrellas, an one of the general objects of the invention is to provide an umbrella having a very sim' ple construction which will enable it to'be manufactured very inexpensively.

The economy resulting from this invention resides partly in the novel construction .of the crown of the umbrella, but the invention also resides in the general construction of the umbrella and in the runner. v

The invention consists in the general combination of parts and simplicity of details hereinafter described, all of which contribute to produce an eficient and economically manufactured umbrella.

A preferred embodiment of my invention will be particularly described in the following specification, while the broad scope of my invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a-vertical section through the umbrella, certain parts being omitted and others broken away for the sake of clearness;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken atthe crown of the umbrella upon an enlarged scale, certain parts being broken away or This view particularly illustrates a sleeve which forms a part of the crown;

Figs. 3 and 4. are side elevations showing sleeves which form parts of the crown;

Fig. 5 is a plan of the crown of the umbrella and illustrating particularly thernanner in which the ribs extend from the crown;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the ribs folded;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken through the stick just above the runner and particularly illustrating the construction of the runner and the means for releasing it from the stick;

Fig. 8 is a plan showing a blank from which the umbrella cover may be formed;

Fig. 9 is a cross-section through the umbrella illustrating the manner in which the cover of the umbrella folds into the spaces between the ribs; and

Fig. 10 is a plan of the umbrella upon a greatly reduced scale.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 represents an umbrella stick which is preferably formed of wood and near the tip 2 of this stick I attach a crown 3. This crown is preferably constructed of a plurality of members to engage the stick, preferably in the form of rings or sleeves 4L, 5 and 6, the bodies of which are preferably in the form of coils which are adapted to grip resiliently and tightly upon the stick. These rings or sleeves are, connected with the bodies of the ribs by a flexible part, and these flexible parts flex when the umbrella is opened or closed.

For this purpose the sleeves are placed in succession upon the stick and the uppermost coil f has its ends bent so as to form downward extensions 7 and these extensions are preferably bent around to give the flexible part the form of resilient curved extensions or coils 8. The sleeves and the flexible coils are constructed of metal, and preferably formed of wire in one piece, the coils corresponding to each sleeve being formed preferably at diametrically opposite points; and the wire beyond each coil presents a straight extension so as to form the body of the umbrella rib 9. The coils 10 of the sleeve 5 and the coils 11 of the sleeve 6 are arranged so that when they are applied to the stick all of the rib coils will lie substantially in the same plane, which plane is sub stantially at right angles to the axis of the sleeves and the axis of the stick. On the end of the stick near the handle 12 when the umbrella is folded, there lies a runner 13 and the body of this runner is preferably in the form of a sleeve 14; composed of turns or wraps of wire producing a coil; and a wrap at one end of this coil is preferably formed with an outward extension 15 which is bent upwardly as at16 and then bent around to form a ring 17 to which the stretchers 18 may be attached, the outer ends of the said stretchers being attached to eyes or loops 19 bent into the ribs 9. The wrap at the end of the coil 1% opposite to the extension 15 extends circumferentially past the extension 15 and is formed into a thumb piece 20 similar to the thumb piece 15. The coil 14 is arranged so that it normally grasps the stick but by pressing the oppositely disposed thumb pieces 15 and 20 toward each other, the coils will expand so as to permit the runner to slide freely in opening the umbrella.

There may be as many of the sleeves such as the sleeve f as may be desired, but 1 profor to employ three such sleeves so that the umbrella will present at least six ribs. In applying the sleeves, the coils 8, 10 and 11 are preferably spaced equidistant so that the cover 21 of the umbrella is uniformly supported throughout its area. In order to support the cover at the crown of the umbrella, I prefer to provide a small hood 22 of inverted cup form, the lower edge of which lies near the coils 8, 10 and 11. The central portion of the cover seats on this hood and is held to the same by a small ferrule 23 or any other means which is applied to the tip '2 of the stick. The outer edge of the cover is preferably attached to a cord 24. passing continuously through the eyes 24 of the ribs. I provide the runner with means for attaching it to the stretchers. This function may be performed by the ring 17. The stretchers 18 are preferably provided with eyes which attach to the "ring 17 and also have eyes formed at their outer ends to attach to eyes 19 formed by bending the ribs upon themselves When it is desired to fold the umbrella into a very small space, the sleeves L, 5, 6 may be rotated with respect to each other so that their rib coils are brought nearer together as indicated in Fig. 6. This makes the folding of the umbrella more compact.

In order to keep down the cost ofthe umbrella, the cover is of inexpensive water proof material, which by reason of features of the umbrellas structure, may be of a frangible nature.

I prefer to form the cover 21 of a blank 26, of an inexpensive water proof paper which 'is of substantially circular form but formed with a cutaway portion or gap 27 so that edges 28 are formed radiating from the center 29 of the blank. Although this :paper is frangible, the construction of the umbrella is such as to relieve it of great strain. If these edges 28 are brought together and connected, an opening is formed at the point 29 to receive the end of the stick and the cover is given a slightly conical form. The cover is formed with creases or folds radiating from the stick 1 so that when the umbrella is closed, the cover presents folds 3O lying etween the ribs 9.

In opening the umbrella the thumb pieces 15 and 20 are pressedtogether which releases the sleeve 1%, and the runner is then forced outwardly on the stick in the usual manner. In this way the stretchers 18 force the ribs 9 outwardly and the coils 8, 10 and 11 flex and permit the raising of the ribs to a position such as that indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The cover of the umbrella then occupies the position also indicated in dotted lines. It should be understood that the material out of which the ribs 9 are formed, is not very stiff so that the coils 8 do not operate as strong springs. They are intended primarily to perform the function of a joint. The coil 14 grips the stick and holds the umbrella open.

In practising this invention it will be seen that the parts of the umbrella may be very economically constructed by machinery. As the cover of the umbrella is preferably formed of a frangible material such as waterproof paper or cloth which is inexpensive, evidently the entire cost of the umbrella is very low. It is *intended that the umbrellas shall be sold at so low a price that they will be bought by persons who have been accidentally caught in the rain, in order for them to reach cover.

Special attention is called to my novel combination of a metallic and resilient umbrella frame with a cover of water-proof paper attached thereto, thesa'me being used I in combination with creases in the cover which permit the cover to roll up like an ordinary umbrella. I am aware that parasols have been constructed of paper, but such parasols employ a great 'many ribs and when the parasol is closed a very bulky effect is produced. The presence of the creases in the paper tends to weaken it but the paper is prevented from tearingby a marginal cord 24 in the cover connecting the ends of the 'ribs, which takes the strain and relieves the creased paper of any tensile force which might be sufficientv to tear the paper.

It is understood that the embodiment of the invention described herein is only one of the many forms or embodiments the invention may take, and I do not wish to be limited in the practice of the invention nor in my claims to the precise embodiment set forth above.

The ribs are constructedso thatthey tend to assume the position of the dotted lines 9 in Fig. 1, which arrangement increases the facility with which the umbrella 'opens. The creases in the cover are clearly inclicated in Fig. 9 and is obvious from an inspection of Fig. 9 that the creases in the cover enable it to be wrapped neatly around the stick and ribs.

What I claim as new is 1. An umbrella comprising the combina tion of a stick, a plurality ofseparate members each having a part adapted to encircle and grip the stick, said members having integral extensions forming the umbrella ribs, and flexible parts adjacent the stick integral with the ribs and the said members respectively, said flexible parts constructed to flex to permit a swinging movement of the ribs inwardly in closing the umbrella and outwardly in opening the umbrella.

2. An umbrella having a crown comprising a sleeve formed of a bent wire forming a coil to encircle the umbrella stick, said coil having integral extensions forming ribs extending substantially radially from the coil, said ribs having flexible parts adjacent said sleeve permitting a swinging move ment of said ribs in closing and opening the umbrella.

3. An umbrella having a crown comprising a sleeve formed of a wire coil adapted to encircle the umbrella stick, said coil having integral extensions forming ribs extending substantially radially from the coil, said ribs having flexible coils adjacent said sleeve permitting swinging movement of said ribs in opening and closing the umbrella.

4. An umbrella having a crown sleeve consisting of a coil of wire adapted to encircle the stick, said coil having an integral extension on one side forming a rib of theumbrella, and having an integral extension on the side opposite to said first extension forming the opposite rib of the umbrella, said ribs having flexible coils formed therein adjacent to said first named coil, and permitting a swinging movement of said ribs inwardly and outwardly in closing or opening the umbrella.

5. An umbrella having a crown comprising a plurality of sleeves, each sleeve consisting of a coil of wire adapted to receive the umbrella stick, each of said coils having integral extensions forming the ribs of the umbrella, said ribs having flexible coils alining with each other in substantially the same plane substantially at right angles to the axis of said sleeves.

6. In an umbrella, the combination of a crown consisting of a plurality of sleeves formed of wire coils, said wire coils having integral extensions projecting therefrom, and forming the umbrella ribs, said ribs having flexible coils adjacent said sleeves disposed in a plane substantially at right angles to the axis of said sleeves, a stick passing through said sleeves, a hood at tached to said stick and extending downwardly to a point near said second named coils, a runner connected with said ribs for extending or folding the same, and an umbrella cover attached to said stick above said hood, and connected with said ribs near the extremities thereof.

7. An umbrella having a crown comprising a sleeve formed of a wire coil constructed to encircle the umbrella stick, said coil having an extension forming a rib, said rib having a flexible coil integral therewith and integral with said first named coil, and permitting a swinging movement of said rib inthe umbrella.

8. An umbrella having a sleeve constructed to engage the stick, said sleeve being formed of a wire coil extended at its ends to form ribs, said ribs having integral eyes formed therein by bending the ribs upon themselves for attaching stretchers to the ribs.

9. An umbrella comprising the combination of a stick, a crown comprising a sleeve consisting of a coil of wire constructed to encircle said stick, ribs extending integrally from said sleeve, and having flexible coils adjacent said sleeve, said last named coils constructed to flex to permit a swinging movement of said ribs inwardly in closing the umbrella and outwardly in opening the umbrella, said ribs each further having an eye at an intermediate point on the length thereof consisting of a loop formed by bending the rib, a runner adapted to slide along said stick, and stretchers connected with said runner and pivotally connecting with said ribs at said eyes.

10. An umbrella runner consisting of a resilient coil constructed to grasp the umbrella stick by its own resiliency, said coil hav-ing outwardly projecting means constructed to be pressed toward each other to enlarge the coil on the stick to permit a movement of the runner along the stick.

11. An umbrella runner consisting of a resilient coil constructed to grasp the umbrella stick, said coil having extensions constructed to be grasped to release the coil from the stick to permit a movement of the runner along the stick, said coil having an extension forming a ring for attachment to the stretchers.

12. In an umbrella, the combination of a stick, a frame having a plurality of metallic ribs attached to said stick and adapted to lie near said stick when the umbrella is closed, and a cover of waterproof paper supported by said frame, and having creases between said ribs adapting said cover to roll up around the stick and the ribs.

13. In an umbrella, the combination of a stick, a frame having a plurality of metallic ribs attached to the said stick, and adapted to lie near said stick when the umbrella is closed, and a cover of waterproof paper supported by said frame and having creases between said ribs adapting said cover to roll up around the stick and the ribs, and means connecting said ribs for relieving the said creases of said cover from tension when the umbrella is open.

14. In" an umbrella, the combination of a stick, a frame having a plurality of metallic ribs attached to said stick and adapted to lie near said stick when the umbrella is closed, and a cover of frangible water proof paper supported by said frame, and having creases between said ribs adapting said cover to roll up around the stick and ribs, and a cord connecting the ends of said ribs and relieving said cover of tension when the umbrella is open.

15. An umbrella runner consisting of a clamping sleeve formed of Wraps of Wire forming a coil to surround the umbrella stick and normally exerting a. clamping force thereupon to clamp the sleeve to the stick, said clamping sleeve having an extension from a wrap at one end or the clamping sleeve constituting a finger piece and having a wrap at the other end of said clamping sleeve extending circumferentially past said finger piece, said last named Wrap having an extension constituting a finger piece, said finger pieces disposed opposite to each other and operating When pressed toward each other to enlarge said clamping sleeve to per- 111 it the same to run freely on the stick.

Signed at New York city, N. Y., this 31 day of July, 1913.

FRANK HOWARD.

lVitnesses BEATRICE Mmvls,

C. 'l. NEAL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

